Question about mankind.

Why can't mankind live within nature. Why does he harm the environment unlike any other creature on the planet? I know some will correctly say it's our intelligence but then why has nature spawned a being that can do what we do in the first place?

Was this an accident of nature? Is it just un natural? Is there a larger plan by mother nature? What are your feelings and insights into this topic?

Picture yourself in pre neolithic times, sometimes a cave for shelter and sometimes nothing.
Dudes come along with an invention "this will keep you warm! Safe! Fed!".
MBP, pre neolithic history was all about being cold, hungry, and early death.
With our active forebrain and tool using hands it's actually natural to keep trying to make life more comfortable. For humans we are reacting out of instinct.
That being said, we are nature's most homicidal species and what one might refer to as a 'holy goof'.
More coffee need more coffee.

There is no purpose behind nature or why we evolved the way we have. There's no plan. To ask why we've adapted our environment to suit our needs rather than adapting to our environment is a nonsensical question. "How" is a question worth asking. "Why" implies purpose where there is none. This species has been around for an insignificant fraction of this planets existence. We're not that special.

But generally, it's easier to cultivate livestock and crops and build permanent shelters than it is to live nomadic lifestyles, hunt and gather, and evade predators. That's a "why" answer if you really have to have one.

I don't understand why nature has to be some kind of sentient being.
We evolved the way we did for the same reasons that any other living thing did - our ancestors managed to reproduce before they died. The adaptations that happened to help that process along for us were things like bipedal locomotion, increasing intelligence, tool making, etc. until you get to where we are today. The Earth doesn't resent creating us, it's just a ball of rock and water moving through space. We, however, may very well be helping to turn that ball into a place that will eventually no longer be able to support our existence here. Maybe we'll adapt, and maybe some other species will too. A lot of them won't, though. This isn't malice on the part of the Earth, it's simply changing circumstances.

Why can't mankind live within nature. Why does he harm the environment unlike any other creature on the planet? I know some will correctly say it's our intelligence but then why has nature spawned a being that can do what we do in the first place?

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Because man can be selfish, and greedy. Those 2 characteristics often bring money with them, and money has more power here on earth than anything else (cept tornatos, hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, sharknados, and few other things) . We elect the most powerful person in the world (or United States at least), based mostly upon how much money he/she has to campaign, and nobody even bats an eye at that. It's not important. Sprinkle a litte more inherent human stupidity on top of all that, and well... there ya go.

SirMjac28Patiently Waiting For The Next British InvasionGold Supporting Member

Man is the most destructive organism to ever inhabit this planet and is on a collision course with an extinction level event. I think nature is definitely going to defend itself as it has for billions of years and if there is any other intelligent life out there you won't see it until we start trying to colonize other planets.

Why do certain people continue to insist that man is somehow outside of nature? Man is an integral part of nature, and all our works are natural. To claim otherwise is ignorant, at best. Are we bad for the world? Not really, we simply haven't found stasis yet.

Why do certain people continue to insist that man is somehow outside of nature? Man is an integral part of nature, and all our works are natural. To claim otherwise is ignorant, at best. Are we bad for the world? Not really, we simply haven't found stasis yet.

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The definition of nature is everything minus the things that people do.

All our works, our actions, are artificial - by definition.

This doesn't mean it's bad, it's simply the definitions, people tend to make the terms more ambiguous than they really are.

SirMjac28Patiently Waiting For The Next British InvasionGold Supporting Member

Your very premise is incorrect. All living things degrade their environment. It is just that man has figured out to avoid the consequences (so far).

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I somewhat disagree the Amazon which is around fifty-five million years old has witnessed its most destruction the last forty plus years due to rapid deforestation and I'm pretty sure that there isn't any animal species besides man that could have done that much irrevocable damage and look at all of the lakes and rivers in and around major cities that were pristine for thousands upon thousands of years before humans contaminated most of them. I think the world is a lot worse for wear because of its human population.

The definition of nature is everything minus the things that people do.

All our works, our actions, are artificial - by definition.

This doesn't mean it's bad, it's simply the definitions, people tend to make the terms more ambiguous than they really are.

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Correct.
I think this goes back to the Adam and Eve myth and our attempt to explain why we humans are "different." We consider "animals" any living things which are not us or plants, when, of course, we are animals too. It is a language game.
The thing is that we are an outrageously successful species. Too successful, if you ask me. We are just doing what we can to survive (food, shelter, etc.) but it's starting to go too far. No, the Earth isn't a sentient being, and it will go on past our demise (and so will cockroaches, bacteria, etc.)... but I'm sickened by the thought of losing elephants, rhinos, gorillas, etc., etc. The oceans are even being depleted of fish.

Man is the most destructive organism to ever inhabit this planet and is on a collision course with an extinction level event. I think nature is definitely going to defend itself as it has for billions of years and if there is any other intelligent life out there you won't see it until we start trying to colonize other planets.